Piling section



Sept 29, 1936. e. G. GREULICH 9' FILING SECTION Filed Sept. 27, 1935 *Z 3 I j i Patented Sept. 29, 1936 UNlTED STATES 1 PATENT orrlcs- PILING SECTION Gerald G. Greulich, Mount Lebanon, Pa.

Application September 27, 1935, Serial No. 42,472

4 Claims.

, it is subjected to the greatest abuse.

Another object is to provide a device of the class described which, when used with a similar device, enables their outer surfaces to lie in a single plane, ample clearance being provided for slight rotation at their connection.

A further object is to provide a piling section which may be easily and cheaply rolled, of minimum weight, and provides a long angular water seal when interlocked with, a similar device.

These and further objects will be apparent after referring to the drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan of the piling section of the invention.

Figure 2 is an enlargement of the left-hand side portion of the piling section of Figure 1.

Figure 3' is an enlargement of the right-hand side portion of the piling section of Figure l.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the numeral 2 designates the web of the piling section of the invention which has its side faces 3 and 4 in parallelism, thus providing a constant wall thickness, as shown at a. A flange 5 is formed integral with and extending at right angles to the web 2, and has its side faces 6 and I in parallelism, thus providing a wall thickness b of constant cross-section. Another flange 8 is formed integral with the other end of the web 2 and extends at right angles with respect thereto in a direction which is opposite to the flange 6. The flange 8 has its side faces 9 and I in parallelism, providing a wall thickness 0 of constant cross-section.

It -is to be noted that the thicknesses of the walls of the flanges and 8, as shown at b and 0, respectively, are substantially greater than the thickness a of the web 2, which makes for lightness of construction, as a lesser displacement can be had in the web without jeopardizing the strength of the piling section.

The terminal end of the flange 5 is enlarged,

as at l2, and extends at right-angles to its longitudinalaxis, and is of such cross-section as to provide a terminal surface l3 which is at slightly less than an included angle of 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the flange 5.

The terminal surface M of the enlarged portion 12 of the flange 5 is in a plane which converges on the axis of the flange 5 and has a side face 15 which provides an, included angle of less than 90 degrees with respect thereto, thus making a reentrant angle. The flange 5 is provided with an enlarged portion l1, adjacent its. enlarged portion 12, which carries ,an extending lip 18, forming a socket l9 therebetween over which the lip. extends for at least half of its width. I

The terminal extremity of the flange 8 has a surface 22 which provides an included angle of flange 8 is also provided with an enlarged portion 2|. 'This enlarged portion 2| carries a curved hook member 23 which terminates in an enlarged head 24. The inner surface of the'head 24 is at an included angle of less than 90 degrees with,

respect to the longitudinal axis of the flange 8 and, together with the terminal surface 22 thereof, and the curved portion 23 of the enlarged portion 2|, forms a dove-tailed groove 26. r

The enlarged portions l1 and 2| of the terminal ends of the flanges 5 and 8, respectively,- each provide a section modulus substantially double their average thicknesses, as indicated at b and 0, respectively, at a point spaced from the web sides of the grooves l 9 and 26 a distance equal to substantially their average thicknesses. The line e in Figure 2 represents double the thickness of the flange 5 while the line f represents a distance from the web side of its groove which is equal to its average thickness b. Similarly, in Figure 30f the drawing, the line h represents double the thickness c of the flange 8 while the line i represents a distance from the web side of its groove 26 which is equal to the average thickness 0..

' Due to the dove-tailed grooves l9. and 26 and the contours of the heads I2 and 24 of adjacent parts, a connection is formed such as will tend to become tighter if adjacent piling sections are subjected to tensile strain, instead of crowdingthem apart as is the case with conventional devices. This condition is due to the fact that the engaging surfaces of the sides of the grooves l9 and 26 form reentrant angles with respect to the face of the piling section. In addition and as shown inFigure L'thfi outside faces of assembled piling sections lie in the same plane or, in other "words, their surfaces are flush. In addition, the engaging surfaces of adjacent piling'sections are near their outer faces, as at I and ID, in order that secondary stresses are kept at a minimum when the joint is under strain. Furthermore, the v long angular path through the joints of adjacefi piling sections provides maximum to the flow of water, etc.

The neutral axis of the piling section of the invention is substantially at the" center of the web 2 and the cross-sectional areas of the ends, or heads, it and 2 1 are substantially constant. The radii of gyrationof these ends, or heads, are sub= stantially equal in column strength and the edges of the piling section are proportioned in such manner that each functions as a symmetrical column section.

While I have shown and described one specific embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that I do not wish to be limited exactly thereto, since various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of my invention, as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A piling section comprising a web and flanges extending in opposite directions from said web along its respective longitudinal edges, said flanges having materially greater cross-sectional area at all points than said web'and having their outer faces in parallelism with each other, the terminal ends of said flanges being shaped to provide dove-tailed grooves and hooks adapted to interlock with similar parts of an adjacent piling section, each of said flanges being substantially double their average thickness ata point spaced from the web side of said groove a distance equal to substantially its average thickness and tapering toward said web from said point of double thickmess to the average thickness thereof and increasing in thickness from said point of double thickness to theweb side of said groove.

2. A piling section comprising a web and flanges extending in opposite directions from said web along its respective longitudinal edges, the terminal ends of said flanges being shaped to provide dove-tailed grooves and hooks adapted to interlock with similar parts of an adjacent piling section, each of said flanges being substantially double their average thickness at a point spaced from the web side of said groove a distance equal to substantially its average thickness .and tapering toward said web from said point of double thickness to the average thickness thereof and increasing in thickness from said point of double thickness to the web side of said groove.

obstruction 8. A piling section comprising a web and flanges extending in opposite directions from said web along its respective longitudinal edges, the terminal ends of said fiangesbeing shaped to provide dove-tailed grooves and hooks adapted to interlock with similar parts of an adjacent piling section, each of said flanges being substantially double their average thickness at a point spaced from the web side of said groove a distance equal to substantially its average thickness and tapering toward saidweb from said point of double thickness to the average thickness thereof and increasing in thickness from said point of double thickness to the web side of said groove, and a lip extending from the web side of one of said hooks and overlying at least one-half of the width of the-adjacent dove-tailed groove, whereby the neutral axis of said piling is substantially at the center of the web and the crosssectional areas of the terminal ends are substantially constant.

4. A piling section comprising a web and flanges extending in opposite directions from said web along its respective longitudinal edges, the terminal ends of said flanges being shaped to provide dove-tailed grooves and hooks adapted to interlock with similar parts of an adjacent piling section, each of said flanges being substantially double their average thickness at a point spaced fronr. the web side of said groove a distance equal to substantially its average thickness and tapering toward said web from said point of double thickness to the average thickness thereof and increasing in thickness from said point of double thickness to the web side of said groove, and a lip extending from the web end of one of said hooks and projecting toward the terminal edge of said flange, said hook being adapted to haveinterlocking engagement with the hooks of adjacent piling sections and said lip being of such length and angular position as to extend over more than one-half of the width of the adjacent dove-tailed groove, whereby the edges of the piling section are proportioned in such manner that each functions as a symmetrical column section and the radii of gyration of the terminal ends thereof are substantially equal in column strength.

GERALD G. GREULICH. 

